Strip clamp



C. R. KILLEN March 31 1959 STRIP CLAMP Filed Oct. 28, 1954 1 ZT 1 I n 1 u/ I 1 1 1 l 7:

I INVENTOR. 04/4/16 6. [mu-w 7 'rlllllllflzllllla zllllrllllllllllllllll STRIP CLAMP Clair R. Killen, Los Angeles, Calif. Application October 28,1954, Serial No. 465,373 7 Claims. (Cl. 2466) The present invention relates to a fastening clip of the type used to hold articles such as for example papers, drawings, and maps in a fixed position. Because of its unique construction, the clip lends itself to a variety of novel forms and uses, including a linearly extended form for securing large sheets such as maps, drawings, and the like. The invention is superior to previous clips in that the number of parts have been reduced to a minimum, and the coaction between the parts may be varied to produce a number of desirable results.

The basic coaction of the clip is provided by the pivot ing of a movable member about a fixed member. The movable member has a depending fiange within which a jaw is formed. The fixed member has an upturned exterior which ends in a knife edge. The knife edge pivots within the jaw, and is held in place by means of an arcuate spring element which envelopes both the knife edge and the jaw. It will be seen that this construction is an advance over the prior art for several reasons. The pivot is foolproof since the movable member cannot misaline itself. The pivot bearing surfaces are all integral with the clip members themselves so that no delicate ex: ternal bearings need be provided. In addition, manufacturing problems are simplified because the members can be extruded and then assembled by the simple act of affixing the arcuate spring.

The inventive concept goes beyond the unique pivot coaction. Of particular importance is the adaptability of the invention to various modes of operation by changed coaction of the parts. For example, it is contemplated, as one of its major applications, that the clip will be used on a wall board to support several maps or drawings side by side. If, for the purpose of mounting such a plurality of maps or drawings, a conventional clip of the conventional clip-board type were simply to be suitably elongated, were to be used, it would be very difiicult to insert two maps side by side without having one fall out while the other was being put in place. The clip described herein avoids this difiiculty by using one long, fixed mounting strip member and a number of movable clip members. Several such movable members may be provided, so that there are a plurality of movable members, which may be of equal'face widths, or of varying face widths, each of which maybe chosen to be of the correct length for the papers to be mounted. On the other hand, it may be desirable to operate a number of the individual, movable members simultaneously so as to facilitate the mounting of a single large drawing. Obviously, the plurality of individually operable movable clip members presents a manipulation problem for such a case. Accordingly, I preferably design each movable clip member to include an individual inward extension cleat. The desired number of movable members are then made to act as a unit by linking the extension cleats on adjacent members. The linking may be accomplished with tie pieces similar in appearance to the areaate springs used to hold the movable members in engagement with the fixed members.

ited Sates Patent Another desirable coaction may be provided if it is desired to retain the clips in open position. This is easily done since not only does each movable member have an inward extension cleat but also the fixed member has a longitudinal extension cleat. A specially shaped spring, whose bottom side fits over the cleat on the movable member, is carried so that its open mouth may close about the cleat on the fixed member if the movable member is depressed to open the clip. This holds the clip in open position.

Various other improvements are also disclosed. One of them involves the provision of a stop toe on the fixed member so that papers, negatives, drawings and other articles may be positively alined within the clip. Another one is disclosed wherein the fixed member is formed as a container for a roll of vellum. The movable member becomes the cover for the container, and the paper may be torn off against a knife edge provided at the toe of the movable member.

Accordingly, it is a prime object of the invention to provide a clip wherein an improved pivotal action is provided for the movement of a movable member with respect to a fixed member.

It is a further object to provide a clip wherein a movable member pivots about a fixed member by means of an edge working within a jaw socket.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a clip having a wide fixed member carrying a plurality of movable members which are tied together to obtain desired face widths.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved clip which will remain in open position when it is operated.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a clip wherein a limit stop is formed within the clip.

It is another object of the invention to provide a clip which may be fashioned as a container with a movable cover.

The various advantages and novel features of the invention will be better understood from a study of the drawings taken in connection with the specification.

Fig. 1 illustrates a form of the clip arranged on a wall' board to hold a plurality of maps in side by side relations p;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along the line 2-2. This figure illustrates the clips with tie pieces in place to join the advance movable members;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the movable members joined together;

Fig. 4 shows a form of the clip with a locking spring to hold the clip in open position;

Fig. 5 shows a species wherein the toe of the fixed member extends beyond the toe of the movable member;

Fig. 6 shows a species wherein the toe of the fixed member is a vertical stop;

Fig. 7 illustrates a species of clipsimilar to that of Fig. 5, but aifixed at the corner of a base plate; and

Fig. 8 illustrates a form of the invention wherein the clip forms a container from which paper may be withdrawn and torn off at any desired length.

Turning now to the drawings, it will be seen that in Fig. 1, wall board 11 is used to mount the clip assembly 12. Each clip 12 may include one long fixed mounting strip member 14 having a flat base surface 15 adapted to be mounted flush against the wall board 11 by suitable fastening screws, as indicated. Coacting with this long mounting strip member 14 are a plurality of shorter movable face or clamp members 16 having toe portions 16a adapted to clamp maps 21 and 22 in place against wall board 11. One or more of such clips 12 may be utilized in longitudinal alinement, as suggested in Fig- 1.

As can best be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, each movable face member has an extension flange 25 which ends in a jaw 26 formed with a V-shaped groove 26a, as shown. Each fixed strip member 14 also has, at its lower edge, an outwardly bent wall member 14a, from which there rises an extension flange 27 ending in an outwardly presented knife edged bearing rail 28. Rail 28 engages in the V- shaped groove 26a to form a slide-pivot connection between the mounting member and each clamp or face member. As may be seen, both the mounting strip member 14 and the face members 16 are designed as extrusions. Split sleeve springs 31 (longitudinally coextensive with the face members) engage in positioning grooves at the base of extension flange 27 and in the forward face of flange 25, as shown, thereby resiliently and yieldingly binding the face members to the fixed strip members in proper operative relationship, so that rotation takes place about the pivots formed by the knife edges and jaws. These spring members 31 are elastically expansive to permit opening of the face members when manually depressed, and to close the same when released.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 adjacent face members 16 may be joined for simultaneous operation by means of an arcuate spring 33 slideably engaged over headed cleats or rails 34, of generally T-shaped cross-section, on successive face members. These rails 34 are longitudinally aligned in one pivotal position of the face members 16 so as to accommodate sliding of the spring 33 thereover. As many face members as desired may be tied together by a single such spring member 33 to give any desired simultaneously acting face width. Thus depression of a single face member 16 will simultaneously open a plurality of the clips.

Also, if desired, the strip members 14 may be provided with headed cleats or rails 35, and in the case of a plurality of the clip units 12 mounted end to end, as in Fig. 1, a joining arcuate spring 36 may be slideably engaged thereover to assure precise alinement at time of mounting on the wall board (see Fig. 3).

In operation, the clip 12 of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is effective to hold one or more papers, maps, and other articles hanging against wall board 11. Depression of the upper portion of any one of the movable clamp members 16 opens the clip because of the pivotal action of edge 28 within the groove in jaw 26. In the case of adjacent clamp members linked together by a spring 33, movement of one member is effective to operate the adjacent one. It is apparent that this makes it convenient to insert and clamp one map within the segmented clip. In case two or more maps are to be clamped, a suflicient number of the face members 16 can be tied together by a single spring 33 to correspond with the width of each of such maps. It is then possible to first clamp one of the maps, and then insert another by its side without the first map falling out. Owing to the slide-pivot action of the means 26, 28 for supporting the clamp members on the mounting member 14, the clamp members may be slideably adjusted along the mounting member or may be positioned on the mounting member at any desired position therealong. Assembly of the clamp members on the mounting member is thereby greatly simplified.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a species which remains in open position after it is operated. Movable face member 16a pivots about fixed member 14a in the same fashion as in the species of Figs. l-3. However, since only one face member is used, there is no need for spring 33 of Figs. 2 and 3. Instead two-part spring clip 40 is affixed to rail 35a. When the upper portion of the face member is depressed the clip opens and the mouth 42 of spring clip 40 clamps around rail 34a of fixed member 14a. The clip is therefore held in open position until suflicient reverse force is applied to bring mouth 42 out of engagement with rail 34a. This device facilitates the mounting of a long map by a plurality of individual clamp plates 16 when the tying springs 33 are not used.

The species of Fig. differs from that of the forms illustrated in the first four figures in that toe 45 of fixed member 14b extends beyond toe 46b of movable face member 16b. This modification is desirable since the toe 45 in effect replaces the backing for the clip; and since the toe is formed integral with the fixed member a smooth surface can easily be obtained as far out as it is desired to extend the toe 45.

The species of Fig. 6 is different in that stop 51 is formed on fixed member 14c. This stop is effective to position papers within the clip at a. predetermined distance from toe 460 of movable member 160. As shown, the toe portion 460 of clamp member 16c is movable across the plane of the base surface of the mounting member by pivoting of the clamp member. When the mounting member is fixed to the wallboard 11, therefore, the spring 31 urges the toe portion of the clamp member against the board so that papers may be clamped between the board and toe portion.

The species of Fig. 7 is essentially the same as that of Fig. 5, except that a toe 45d is turned downward by in order to fasten the clip at the edge of a base member.

In Fig. 8, there is illustrated a species wherein the fixed member 14e is formed as a container. Face member 16c forms the cover for the container. When member 16:: is opened by depressing it at 55c, paper from roll 56 may be withdrawn and torn off against cutter edge 57e.

It will be apparent that the above disclosure will naturally suggest to one skilled in the art, the possibility of interchanging features of the various embodiments. Various design changes will fall within the true scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A clip comprising an elongate mounting member to be attached to a supporting surface and having on one side a flat base surface for bearing against the supporting surface, a first flange rigid on the other side of and extending lengthwise of said member, a pivotal clamp member including a rigid, second flange overlying the first flange, the width of said clamp member measured lengthwise of said first flange being substantially less than the length of said latter flange, cooperating slide-pivot means on said flanges supporting said clamp member on said first flange for rocking about an axis extending lengthwise of said first flange and slideable adjustment along said first flange, said clamp member including a toe portion extending to one side of said pivotal axis, and a spring member encircling said slide-pivot means and bearing on the remote sides of said flanges on that side of said pivotal axis proximate to said toe portion of the clamp member for biasing the latter portion toward the plane of said base surface, said spring member slideably engaging said first flange to permit said slideable adjustment of said clamp member along said first flange.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said slidepivot means comprises an upstanding bearing rail on one of said flanges and an open-ended groove in the other flange rockably and slideably receiving said rail, said groove and rail paralleling said axis.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein said rail has a knife edge and said groove is generally V-shaped in cross-section, the knife edge of said rail seating in the apex of said groove.

4. A clip comprising a relatively fixed mounting member to be attached to a supporting surface and having on one side a flat base surface for bearing against the supporting surface, a first flange rigid on the other side of and extending lengthwise of said member in spaced, substantially parallel relationship to the other side thereof, a pivotal clamp member including a rigid, second flange overlying the first flange, the width of said clamp member measured lengthwise of said first flange being substantially less than the length of said latter flange, cooperating slide pivot means on said flanges supporting said clamp member on said first flange for rocking about an axis extending lengthwise of said first flange and slideable adjustment along said first flange, said clamp member including a toe portion extending to one side of said pivotal axis, and a split sleeve spring encircling said slide pivot means and having its split ends bearing on the remote sides of said flanges on that side of said pivotal axis proximate to said toe portion of the clamp member for biasing the latter portion toward the plane of said base surface, said spring slideably engaging said first flange to permit said sliding adjustment of said clamp member along the first flange.

5. A clip comprising a relatively fixed mounting member to be attached to a supporting surface and having on one side a fiat base surface for bearing against the supporting surface, a first flange rigid on the other side of and extending lengthwise of said member, a plurality of substantially identical clamp members arranged in side-by-side relation along the mounting member and each including a second flange overlying said first flange, the width of each of said clamp members measured lengthwise of said first flange being substantially less than the length of said latter flange, cooperating slide-pivot means on said first flange and said second flange of each clamp member supporting said clamp members on said first flange for rocking of said clamp members on said first flange about a common pivotal axis extending lengthwise of the first flange and relative slideable adjustment of said clamp members along the first flange, said clamp members comprising toe portions extending to one side of said axis, and a separate split sleeve spring encircling said slide pivot means of each clamp member, the split ends of said springs bearing on the remote sides of said first and second flanges on that side of said axis proximate to the toe portions of the clamp members for biasing the latter portions toward the plane of the base surface of the mounting member, said clamp members being positionable at any desired position along the mounting member.

6. A clip comprising a relatively fixed mounting membet to be attached to a supporting surface and having on one side a base surface for bearing against the supporting surface, a pivotal clamp member rockably supported on the other side of said mounting member, an elongate rail of generally T-shaped cross-section on said other side of the mounting member extending substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the clamp member, and a split sleeve slideably engageable over said rail for locating a pair of said clips with the pivotal axes of their clamp members aligned.

7. A clip comprising a relatively fixed mounting member, a plurality of pivotal clamp members rockably supported in side-by-side relation on the base portion for pivoting about a common pivotal axis, spring means biasing said clamp members in one direction, an elongate rail of generally T-shaped cross-section on each clamp member, said rails extending substantially parallel to said axis and being longitudinally aligned in one position of the clamp members, and split sleeve means slideably engageable over said rails for selectively locking adjacent clamp members together for simultaneous rocking movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 509,900 Heysinger Dec. 5, 1893 1,091,413 Wilkins Mar. 24, 1914 1,833,854 Platt Nov. 24, 1931 1,871,719 Meader Aug. 16, 1932 2,030,603 McLaughlin Feb. 11, 1936 2,183,276 Callin Dec. 12, 1939 2,461,333 Maccaferri Feb. 8, 1949 2,544,967 Seaman Mar. 13, 1951 2,607,070 Wertz et al Aug. 19, 1952 2,665,924 Bickel Jan. 12, 1954 2,694,242 'Stageberg Nov. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 171,299 Switzerland 1934 171,516 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1921 

